TASMAC has to evolve an IT policy: CAG

Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has said that TASMAC, one of the major revenue grossers for the Tamil Nadu government could not integrate its activities at various levels through computerisation even after 15 years and it has to evolve an IT Policy.
The CAG said though such "deficiencies" were pointed out in 2008-09, Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) could not integrate its activities even after 15 years.
"The company having an annual turnover of more than Rs 30,200 crore could not integrate its activities at CO (Corporate Office), depos, SRM (Senior Regional Managers) and DM (District Managers) offices as well as RV (retail vending) shops through the computerised environment even after the lapse of 15 years," CAG observed.

TASMAC oversees the sale and distribution of liquor in Tamil Nadu.
Liquor sales is a major revenue grosser for the state government.
In its report for the year ended March 2016, CAG said, non-integration was mainly due to absence of an IT policy and strategic plan, besides execution of computerisation in a "piece-meal" manner without covering the offices of SRM, DM and RV shops.

"Further, the present levels of computerisation lacked adequate controls (and) validation checks, resulting in the data generated becoming unreliable," the auditor said.
Though these "deficiencies" were pointed out in 2008-09, and the company also agreed to overcome them, "persistence of same deficiencies even in 2015-16 revealed the lackadaisical approach to bring in computer-based decision making to manage its massive activities," it said.

The CAG report on PSUs was tabled in the Tamil Nadu Assembly today, on the last day of the ongoing session.
The CAG said there was "an urgent need" for TASMAC to frame an IT policy and reorient its activities for installing uniform software at CO, SRM, DM, depts and RV shops.
Regarding state-run discom Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO), CAG said its thermal power plants were found violating various pollution norms.
The power plants include those at Ennore, Tuticorin, Mettur and North Chennai.
"It was found that the thermal plants of TANGEDCO continued to be functioning without adhering to the norms for air, water and noise pollution," it said.

For instance, suspended particle matter (SPM) levels at stack and carbon emission remained "high" due to non usage of clean beneficiated coal, keeping the station heat rate higher than the prescribed level, the report noted.
The plants also "polluted" sea and river water due to "absence" of effluent and sewage treatment plants, CAG said.
"The management of hazardous waste was also not as per the requirement of TNPCB (Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board)," it added.